Brick-fork



(No Model.)

E. DAWSON.

'BRICK Form1 No. 276,366. "Patented Apr. 24,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD DAWSON, OE AUBURN, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOE rro .IAMEs W. PEN- FIELD,OE WILLOUGHBY, OHIO.

BRICK-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,366, dated April24, 1883.

Application filed' January 25, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom 'it maycon'cem:

Be it known that I, EDWARD DAWSON, of Auburn, in the county ofSang-anion and State ot Illinois, have invented certain' new and usefulImprovements in Brick-Forks; and I dohereby declare the following to bea full, clear,` and exact description ot' the invention, such as. willenable others skilled in the art to which each prong, as shown in Fig.3.

it pertains to make and use the same.

Io My invention relates to improvements int brick-forks and it consistsof certain features, ofconstruction and combinations of partshereinafter described, and pointed out in the claimsfA In manufacturingbricks, immediately after they are formed in proper shape, they are setfupon their edges to dry, preparatory to then1 In Order being placed in akiln for burning. to facilitate this drying process, the bricks shouldbe separated, whereas when they are` 2o tinished by the machine they areusually left in close contact. As it is too slow a process to remove thebricks from the machine singly, and if removed in numbers it requiresmuch time to separate them, I have invented a brickfork by means ofwhich a number of bricks may be moved at once and set on their edges inhacks or on pallets and properly separated without consuming any time inseparating them.

Large quantities of bricks are made by machines that make two Aholes ineach brick through the dat or thin way of the bricks. I will describe afork embodying my invention that is made in a convenient shape formoving this kind of bricks by inserting the prongs of the fork into theholes in the bricks.

In the drawings, Figure I is a view in perspective of my device. Fig.2shows a combination of parts as used in the internal con- 4o structionof my device. Fig?) is an isometric view of one ot' the prongs of thefork. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one of theprongs ot' the fork, showing its internal construction and outsideattachments. Figs.

5 and 6 are end views, showing different manners of making the prongs ofthe fork.

A represents the head of the fork. A convenient way of making this headis to use two plates properly secured to each other, but sepa- 5o ratedat a suitable distance for operating be- -the crooked lever b.

tween these certain parts of the device hereinafter described. To oneside ofthe head is attached the hollow handle B, and to the other sideare attached the two prongs U. Upon the said prongs are placed themovable thimbles c. These thimbles are each provided with a pin passingthrough the thimble from side to side and operating in a slot made in Ifso desired, short slots mightbe made in the prongs iu which to operatethese pins, instead of the continuous slot shown. Inside the hollowprongs C are placed and operated the rods or connections C. These rodsare attached to the cross-bar a, operating inside of the head A. Thecross-bar a is connected by the rod b to The rod l) may operate insideof the handle B, or the said handle, if made solid, may have a groove inwhich to operate the' said rod. The crooked lever b is 7o fulcrumed atb2 to an attachment of the handle B in such a manner that by pressing onthe handle ot' the said crooked lever the rods U', by means of theirattachments to said lever, shall be thrust forward in the direct-ionshown by the arrow in Fig. 2. n

The internal and external adjustments of parts in connection with theprongs are shown in the sectional view, Fig. et, where the rod C' isshown as thrust forward, carrying with it the thimbles c and extendingthem or separating them, as shown. In Fig. l the thimhles n are'shownwith their ends in contact.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pin c passes through a tight-fitting hole in therod G', while the pin 85 c2 passes through a slot in said rod, and thepin c3 Operates in a still longer slot in the said rod.

By operating the lever b the rod C may be drawn back, together with thepin c and the attached thimble c, and these will in turn draw back theother thimbles until the parts are in the position shown in Fig. I. Thesame result may 'ne had by holding the fork in a vertical position, withthe prongs uppermost, 9 when the parts by their own gravity will returnto their position, as in Fig 1.

The thimbles next the head A are not movable, and it is better to havethem pass through the head to give additional strength to the roo v4Theparts being in the position shown in Fig.

l, the prongs ot' the fork are either inserted in the holes of thebricks or are placed under the bricks in such a manner that the bricksshall rest on the said thimbles as supports, in which manner the bricksare lifted from the brickmachine. While the bricks are held on thei'ork, by pressing on the lever b and by means ot the aforesaidattachments, the rods C are moved forward, carrying the pins c and theatiached thinibles and the brick resting on these ihimbles. Then theseparts have moved a short distance-say one-fourth inch-the pin o2 isengaged by the shoulder at the end of the slot in which pin c2 operates,and this, too, is moved along. Next the piu c is in like manner engagedand carried along until the Lhimbles or supports for the brick are inthe position shown in Fig. 4, with thc bricks ou the i'ork separated inthe same manner and distance as the thinibles are separated, inA whichseparated condition the bricks are placed in hacks or on pallets fordrying.

In case it is desired'to use these forks for removing bricks that aremade without holes in them, as the fork would have to be applied to theunder side of the bricks, prongs might be made, as shown at C2, Fig. 5,with sleeves, as at c", instead of the thimbles bet'ore described; also,in place of two prongs, one might be used with a broad sleeve, c5.(Shown in Fig. 6.)

I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein described, asalmost every portion of the device could be made in various ways andstill accomplish the same result. For instance, in place of the slots inthe rods C, notches on the side ot' the rod or pins extending laterallyfrom the said rod to engage the pins c', c2, and c would produce thesame result.

1. Abrick-fork by means of which the bricks may be separated by amanipulation ot' the fork while the bricks are on the fork,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In abriek-fork, movable thimhles, sleeves, or supports, upon whichbricks may be lifted and separated by a manipulation ot' the fork,substantially as shown and described.

3. In a brick-fork, the combination, with movable supports upon whichbricks may be lifted, of a lever and attachments, by the operating ot'which the bricks may be separated while they are supported on the fork,substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whercot'l sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 19th day of January, 1383. A

EDWARD DAWSON.

Witnesses:

HENRY Dawson, Jr., MATTHEW U. DAWSON.

